EASTERN PROVINCE

GATSIBO — As campaigns on how to keep a better environment increase, the Minister of Natural Resources Stanslas Kamanzi has urged leaders to always conduct research on the trees they plant. Speaking on Thursday in Gatsibo the minister noted that some trees species have a negative impact on the soil.

"Before planting any tree, first do the research on its species and see where it should be planted such that it does not affect the environment. There are some trees which can not grow in a certain area or which grow and cause negative impacts on the land. You have to be careful and make research on trees you plant in your area,” he said.

The minister explained that it was possible for a certain tree type to grow well in Northern Province and fail to survive in another region. He cautioned the environmentalists against getting tree seedlings from any part of the country or outside without considering whether they are suitable for their respective areas.

He was meeting district leaders in charge of environment and natural resources, district agronomists and forest guards. The meeting was aimed at discussing matters of forests conservation and environmental management. All environmentalists from 30 districts across the country attended the meeting.

Other issues discussed in the meeting include; giving reports on tree planting in the district, reports indicating where trees would be planted in every district this year, and follow up on forest encroachment.

During the meeting, they also discussed matters regarding government road-side land. It was noted such plots should be covered with new trees where there old ones.

Earlier, the minister and the leaders toured different forests and swamps in the district to identify how they were being managed and preserved.

Commenting on the nature of forests, he said all the visited forests reserves and swamps were well managed. He called upon the district environmentalists and agronomists to maintain the care towards the forests.

Kamanzi told the participants to submit to the ministry reports indicating the number of trees, species and where they have planted them so that the ministry could do the monitoring of their management.

On previous environmental campaigns, the minister condemned the district environmentalists who have delayed to plant trees as they had promised.

The minister noted they had agreed with all district environmentalists to complete the tree planting exercise in their respective districts before the end of the rainy season (March-April2008).

"I was surprised to learn that some districts have not started this activity and that others are busy planting trees in this dry season. It is not acceptable to plant trees in dry season because it can not yield anything,” the minister said.

He urged environmentalists to always seek advice from other environmental experts in areas they don’t comprehend than ‘wasting government resources in activities they are not sure of.’

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